The present one-year prospective study was performed to evaluate the effects of an oral contraceptive containing 20 mcg ethinylestradiol plus 0.150 mg desogestrel on bone metabolism in young women. ...Nineteen women aged 20 to 30 years completed the trial. Bone density was measured in the distal radius by dual photon absorptiometry before starting pill use and at the 3rd, 6th and 12th cycle. At the same time intervals, urinary hydroxyproline-to-creatinine ratio and serum alkaline phosphatase were evaluated. Bone density showed a slight, but not significant, increase at the end of the trial. Both urinary hydroxyproline-to-creatinine ratio and serum alkaline phosphatase showed a significant decrease. The results suggest that bone resorption is reduced, although bone density in the distal radius is not significantly increased in young women using an oral contraceptive containing only 20 mcg ethinylestradiol for one year.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between frequency and severity of pain symptoms and site, stage and morphological characteristics of endometriotic lesions was analysed in a multicentre cross-sectional ...observational study. METHODS: A total of 469 women (median age 31 years, range 18–45) who met the following criteria were consecutively observed in the participating centres during the study period: age 18–45 years, first laparoscopic or laparotomic diagnosis of endometriosis, pain symptoms lasting │6 months, pain as the main or only complaint of the condition, absence of pelvic anomalies and no previous pelvic surgery. Dysmenorrhoea and non-menstrual pain were evaluated using a multidimensional verbal rating scale. The women were requested to grade the severity of dysmenorrhoea, non-menstrual pelvic pain and deep dyspareunia using a 10-point linear analogue scale. RESULTS: Dysmenorrhoea was present in 77% of subjects with ovarian endometriosis, 88% of those with endometriosis of the peritoneum, 92% of subjects with endometriosis of both ovary and peritoneum and in all the subjects with endometriosis of rectovaginal septum. These differences were not statistically significant after Bonferroni's correction. No marked difference emerged between the severity of dysmenorrhoea and site of endometriosis, but women with ovarian endometriosis tended to have lower scores (not significant). No clear association emerged between frequency and severity of non-menstrual pain, dyspareunia and site of endometriosis and the presence and severity of dysmenorrhoea, non-menstrual pain and dyspareunia. Dyspareunia was more frequently reported in women with only atypical endometriosis (56.8%) versus 47.7% in women with typical endometriosis, but with borderline significance (P = 0.05). Dyspareunia occurred in 68.2% of patients with both typical and atypical lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study find no clear-cut association between stage, site or morphological characteristics of pelvic endometriosis and pain.
To investigate the role of FSH in the depletion of follicular reserve in a human being.
Prospective evaluation of a very rare case.
Academic research environment.
A 43-year-old woman with primary ...hypogonadotropic hypoestrogenic amenorrhea, with very low levels of plasma FSH throughout her life.
Pulsatile GnRH was administered IV at the dose of 4μg every 90minutes for 20days. Blood samples were collected every 3 to 4days.
Plasma levels of E2, FSH, and LH.
During the 20days of treatment there was no increase in E2 plasma levels. On the contrary, FSH and LH levels began to rise after 3days and reached postmenopausal levels within 20days.
Depletion of follicular reserve may occur also when the levels of FSH are very low throughout a woman’s life. Thus FSH seems only able to rescue follicles from atresia without interfering with the onset of menopause.
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